Home
by Melissa2
Summary: Harper and Beka go home after the events in Family


Title: Home   
Author: Melissa, aka ILH  
Censor: PG-13   
Central Characters: Harper, Beka  
Spoilers: None really  
Author's Note: This is the short follow-up to Family, since I left Beka and Harper still on shore leave.  
Disclaimer: Andromeda's characters and the like belong to Tribune, not me.   
  
  
  
"Goodbye, Beka and Harper. We will miss you both," Rebecca said as she walked the pair to the Ronin Estate's gate.  
  
"Bye. And thanks again," Harper said with a wink.  
  
Beka noticed, but said nothing to Harper. She hugged her great aunt. "Thank you for everything, Aunt Rebecca."  
  
They walked back to the Maru together, in silence. Both of them were at least a little reluctant to return to life aboard Andromeda.  
  
They boarded the Maru, not looking back, and went through the atmosphere quickly, up into the planet's orbit, and then slipstreamed near Andromeda's position, but it would still be over an hour until they arrived.   
  
"So, what was your favorite part of this shore leave, Beka?" Harper asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Huh?" she asked, glancing over at him.  
  
"You're not paying attention. But that's okay." He sighed. "Neither am I. I've got some stuff to do real quick...I'll be back."  
  
He hurried towards his quarters with his bag in his arms, not swinging it all around like he usually did.  
  
"Weird," Beka said. "Nah, he's probably just freaked out by returning to Andromeda after everything that's happened."  
  
Harper returned a couple of minutes later. "Beka, we've still got about an hour to kill. What do you propose we do with that hour?" He grinned at her.  
  
"Not what you're proposing...what you've proposed seven times in the past two days," Beka said.   
  
"The more I ask, the more likely it is that you're finally going to say yes." He sat down on the platform above the pilot's seat.  
  
"Actually, the more you ask, the more likely it is that I'll finally give you a concussion with my forcelance," she said in a serious tone, but smiled because he couldn't see her face.  
  
"Why not, Bek? Can you really give me a good reason...or do you just like to torture me?" he asked.  
  
"A little bit of both. There's an unspoken rule on the Maru, four forbidden things on my ship." She paused.  
  
"What are those forbidden things that aren't supposed to be on the Maru, Boss?"  
  
"Illegal cargo, drugs, pets and sex."  
  
"I get the illegal cargo and drugs, because you could get in major trouble for those with a lot of people with power. And the pets can be messy, but-"  
  
"Nope. I don't have to explain the rules on my ship," she said, still smiling to herself.  
  
He was quiet for a moment. "What if you have three out of the four on board?"   
  
"Since this is the Maru after all, I'd know about it, and I'd throw them out the airlock."  
  
"And if three out of the four were on board and you didn't know about it, would you go ahead and go all out?" He did everything he could not to grin.  
  
"Since I know there aren't, sure I would." Beka unbuckled herself from the pilot's seat and stood.  
  
As if by cue, a tiny minature dachshund puppy came waddling into the cockpit. Harper picked it up and held it. "This is number one. Her name is...well, she doesn't have a name yet. Rebecca gave her to me. She's only a month or so old."  
  
Beka stared at the puppy in shock, half at Harper's defiance of bringing it and half in shock that she hadn't figured out he had brought it with him before they had left. "Dylan won't-"  
  
"Have to know," Harper finished for her. "She's already been litter box trained, and she doesn't make much noise. And before you bring it up, I'm going to strike a deal with Rommie."  
  
"Where's the other two?" Beka asked.  
  
He pulled a bottle out of his pocket. "This is a hangover remedy. It's a drug. And there's more in Med Deck."  
  
"I meant illegal drugs, Harper!" Beka's annoyance was obvious.  
  
"You didn't say illegal drugs, now did you? And for number three, we're going to take a trip down to Engineering."  
  
Beka followed Harper to Engineering. He pulled the panel off of a console and pointed to a pointy part Beka couldn't identify.  
  
"This part has been recalled, because it killed about a hundred of the bug people last month. I've, of course, modified it, but it is now illegal cargo," Harper said.  
  
"But that doesn't-"  
  
"Yes, it does. It all counts." He grinned.  
  
"Eureka Maru, this is the Andromeda Ascendant," Dylan's voice echoed through the ship.  
  
"Nice try, but we're home now, Harper." It was Beka's turn to grin. "By the way, have that part replaced before we go on any more trips. And your dog stays on Andromeda until that part is replaced."  
  
Beka docked the Maru in Andromeda's Hangar Deck. After concealing his puppy in his bag, he followed her to greet Dylan.  
  
"How was your trip?" Dylan asked.  
  
"It was this close to perfect," Harper said, moving his fingers a millimeter apart. "I guess I wished it was just a little longer." He glanced at Beka out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"We got everything taken care of and had time to enjoy ourselves afterwards," Beka said. "How are things here?"  
  
"A lot quieter than usual," Dylan admitted.  
  
"Harper, there is a lifeform in your bag," Rommie's hologram appeared.  
  
"A lifeform?" Dylan asked.  
  
"Rommie!" Harper said, in a slightly annoyed tone. "I can explain."  
  
"I'd like to hear it," Dylan said.  
  
Beka stifled her laughter. "Me too, Harper."  
  
"Well, it's a puppy. But it's litter trained!"  
  
"No," Dylan said.  
  
"It's really quiet, too."  
  
"No."  
  
"Have I told you how cute it is?" Harper pulled it from his bag.  
  
Dylan looked at the puppy. "No," he said, not as firmly as before.  
  
"And it's name is Lil, after you!" Harper added.  
  
"Well..." Dylan said.  
  
"And it loves you!" Harper placed the dog near Dylan's face and it licked him happily.   
  
Dylan took the small puppy in his hands and looked at it. "You would have to take care of it. Animals are a major responsibility..."  
  
"I know! And I'll take great care of her, really!" Harper assured Dylan.  
  
"Rommie, would you mind having the puppy living with us?" Dylan asked.  
  
"No, sir, as long as it is kept clean," Rommie's hologram said.  
  
"You can keep Lil on a trial period. I'll have Rommie keep an eye on you and Lil, to make sure she's taken care of," Dylan said.  
  
"Thanks, Boss!" Harper was very happy when Dylan handed the puppy back to him. "C'mon, Lil, it's time to come see your new home."  
  
"I've never seen him that excited before," Dylan commented.  
  
"I didn't know he liked dogs so much either," Beka said.  
  
"That's a new locket." Dylan stared at her neck.  
  
"Yeah, it is," Beka said, taking the charm in her fingers with a sad smile. "Someone who I haven't seen since I was a little girl wanted me to have it now."  
  
"I'll let you get some rest now," Dylan said, heading out of the Hangar Deck.  
  
"No, wait!" Beka said, remembering the conversation she and Harper had about family. "A very wise person told me never to forget your family, that there's nothing more important. And it's nice that I'm back with mine again now, Dylan."  
  
"And we're glad that you're back home now," Dylan said as they walked down the corridor together.  
  
'Home...that's what Andromeda has become over the past year,' Beka thought, just realizing it for the first time. 'It is good to be home.' 


End file.
